Fresh coat: A Zamboni driver puts down a new layer of water over the NCAA hockey logos at Van Andel Arena before the facility hosted four teams in an NCAA Division I regional tournament in 2009.Mlive.com file

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Who will skate is yet to be determined, but when the NCAA Division I men's hockey tournament comes to Van Andel Arena later this month organizers expect a significant financial incentive from hosting the high-profile event.

“With the practices on Thursday and games Friday and Saturday, we expect between $250,000 and $500,000 in direct spending," said Guswiler, who last worked to bring the tournament to Van Andel in 2009.

The arena is hosting the games in conjunction with the University of Michigan. Regional semifinals are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, March 29, while the regional championship game, which will decide which team advances to the Frozen Four, is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, March 30. The teams coming to Grand Rapids will be determined on Sunday, Mar. 24.

“We are happy to have Division I hockey back in the building," Guswiler said. “The sports commission was formed in 2007 but before that SMG and their partners at Van Andel Arena get the credit for getting this event in Grand Rapids.”

Van Andel Arena regularly has hosted Division I men's regional hockey action since 2001. The commission worked with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in hosting the 2009 regional, but this year is working with Michigan administrators.

“NCAA events need a host institution,” Guswiler said. “Michigan understands the potential to market U-of-M hockey in West Michigan. One selling point is that Michigan hockey draws well and there is a big interest in U-of-M sports in West Michigan.”

The CCHA champion is one of five teams that receives an automatic bid into one of the four regional tournaments. The other four teams that receive automatic bids come from the Atlantic Hockey Association, the Eastern College Athletic Conference, Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The remaining 11 teams that will qualify for regional action will be chose from among the 59 NCAA institutions that field Division I hockey teams.

The CCHA tournament is scheduled to continue this weekend with four best-of-three quarterfinal match-ups. Michigan State is playing at top-seeded Miami while Michigan plays at Western Michigan University. Ferris State plays at Ohio State and Bowling Green travels to Notre Dame.

“We measure the impact of the tournament purely by the number of staff, officials and teams that will be here,” Guswiler said of economic impact the West Regional will have on West Michigan. “The bonus is the number of fans who will travel with those teams.

Tickets for the West Regional semifinal games as well as the regional championship game are on sale and a code for $5 off a two-day pass is available on the West Michigan Sports Commission website.

“Tickets are close to where they were at this time in 2009,” Guswiler said. “We are looking forward to a great weekend of Division I hockey at Van Andel Arena."